The Charleston City Council met on October 14, 2025, to discuss a range of topics including proclamations, public comments, committee reports, and significant legislative items. Key actions included approving the MUSC overlay district, a BAR ordinance amendment, and advancing a transportation sales tax initiative. The meeting began with proclamations honoring Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day and ABVI Awareness Month. Public comments addressed cemetery surveys, MUSC overlay refinements, and historic preservation.
I'd like to call this October fourteenth, two thousand twenty-five meeting of City Hall, City Council to order. Madam Clerk would please call the roll. Councilmember Greg. Here, Councilmember Sheeley. Here, Councilmember McBride, Councilmember Mitchell, Councilmember Brady, President, Councilmember Gregory, Councilmember Waring, Councilmember Seekings, Councilmember Tinkler, Councilmember Balden, Councilmember Appel, Councilmember Parker, Mayor Cogswell. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. In light of recent events, I'd like to throw it to my buddy Councilmember Appel this evening. All right. Come on up, man, you got front and center. This is honoring uh metastatic breast cancer awareness day. Whereas breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women and metastatic breast cancer or MBC, where when cancer spreads beyond the chest is responsible for 98% of breast cancer deaths with no known cure. And whereas in 2025, an estimated 42,680 Americans and 685,000 people worldwide will lose their lives to MBC, yet less than 13% of global breast cancer research funding is dedicated to this stage. And whereas increased investment in MBC research is critical to developing better treatments and transforming it from a terminal illness into a survival survivable condition. And whereas black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, and Hispanic women face breast cancer as their leading cause of cancer death, underscoring the urgent need for equity in research and care. And whereas meta avi medium, is that the right pronunciation? Meta Avior Research and Support Funds, Stage 4 MBC Research, MetaViver. Okay, guys, I need to take reading lessons. Apologies for that. Metavir Research and Support Fund Stage 4 MBC Research and the Global Light Up MBC campaign raises awareness each October 13th by illuminating landmarks worldwide in teal, green, and pink to honor lost lives and inspire hope. And whereas the city of Charleston proudly joins the MBC community in raising awareness and advocating for research that saves lives. Now, therefore, I William S. Cogswell Jr., mayor of the City of Charleston to hereby proclaim October 13th, 2025 as metastatic breast cancer awareness day. Thank you. It'll look great. It'll look really good. You want to say a few? I just wanted to say thank you so much. Yep, thank you. Let's get a picture. Sorry, I'm here. Pay you back for mispronouncing the name. Thank you so much. All right. We got them, right? Association Blind, come on up. Where's she going? She is taking. Whereas the visual health of our residents is essential to the continued well-being and vitality of our families, businesses, and communities. And whereas rates of vision loss are projected to double by 2030 as the population ages and as epidemics like diabetes surge. And whereas the city of Charleston recognizes that access to education, skills training, and support services is essential for the health, safety, and functionality and continued well-being of our residents who are blind or have low vision. And whereas the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired South Carolina, ABVI, a 501c3 founded on October 14th, 1936, has provided services to help individuals who are blind who have low vision develop skills to live safe, independent, and rewarding lives for 89 years. And whereas ABVI provides vision, specific adaptive training skills for South Carolinians with visual disabilities at facilities in the low country, the Midlands, and the Ustate, as well as through in-home community-based and virtual trainings. And whereas the month of October includes National World Sight Day on October 9th, ABVI's birthday on October 14th, and National White Cane Day on October 15th. And whereas an observance of October is ABVI Awareness Month will help raise awareness of visual disabilities, the challenges individuals with visible visual disabilities face daily, the capabilities of individuals who are blind or have low vision, particularly in the workplace, and the importance of vision rehabilitation in our community. And ABVI Awareness Month and urge citizens throughout the city of Charleston to join in the celebration and work together to increase understanding of blindness, visual impairments, and to raise awareness of the need for appropriate and accessible vision education skills and training services. So this is to note that October is ABV Visual Awareness Month. Come on up. Come on up. It's pretty well covered in the proclamation, but I'll say it's always an honor to be recognized, but especially on your birthday, 89 years.